T-shaped non-symmetrical twin liquid crystalline compounds

New unconventional T-shaped non-symmetrical dimeric liquid crystalline compounds have been synthesised and their thermotropic properties studied on the hot-stage of a polarising microscope. These compounds consist of an azo-ester mesogenic unit with a range of terminal substituents (–CH₃, –OCH₃, –NO₂ or –Cl) at one end, interconnected by a flexible spacer (n?=?4, 5 or 10) via ether and ester linking units to a biphenyl moiety at the lateral hydroxyl position of the azo-ester. All the compounds were characterised using a combination of elemental analysis and standard spectroscopic methods. The compounds were found to exhibit enantiotropic nematic and smectic mesophases. The effect of different terminal substituents on mesomorphism is discussed.     

Impact of Targeted Specific Antibiotic Delivery for Gut Microbiota Modulation on High-Fructose-Fed Rats

The objective of present investigation was to study the effect of gut microbiota alteration by oral administration of targeted delivery of pH sensitive cefdinir microspheres to high-fructose-fed (HFD) rats. Rats were fed with a high-fructose diet with or without cefdinir microsphere administration for 30 days. The fecal microbiota community, oral glucose tolerance, the markers of liver injury, plasma and hepatic lipids profile, and histological evaluation were investigated. The levels of blood glucose, liver injury markers, lipid profile in plasma and liver, and fat tissue were significantly increased in high-fructose-fed rats. However, after pH-sensitive cefdinir microsphere administration, the elevation of these parameters was significantly suppressed. Cef EL significantly lowered the increased AST (p?<?0.05) and ALT (p?<?0.001) levels in HFD group. There is a significant lower (p?<?0.01) AUC_glucose level in Cef EL group than HFD group The histological changes in the liver and the small and large intestines were more profound in HFD group as compared to cefdinir-treated HFD and control groups. Feeding of cefdinir microsphere sustained lactobacilli and bifidobacteria and significantly decreased (p?<?0.05) the number of Enterobacteriaceae induced by HFD. Experimental evidences demonstrated that the effectiveness of pH-specific cefdinir microsphere on reducing insulin resistance and development of metabolic changes in high-fructose-fed rats and suggested that it may be a promising therapeutic agent in treating type 2 diabetes. Intestinal-targeted antibiotic delivery needs to be further explored for its therapeutic applications.     

233Pa(2nth, f ) cross-section determination using a fission track technique

The νp process is a primary nucleosynthesis process which occurs in core-collapse supernovae. An essential role in this process is being played by electron antineutrinos. They generate, by absorption on protons, a supply of neutrons which, by (n, p) reactions, allow to overcome waiting point nuclei with rather long beta-decay and proton-capture lifetimes. The synthesis of heavy elements by the νp process depends sensitively on the $\bar \nu _e$ luminosity and spectrum. As has been shown recently, the latter are affected by collective neutrino flavor oscillations which can swap the $\bar \nu _e$ and $\bar \nu _{\mu ,\tau }$ spectra above a certain split energy. Assuming such a swap scenario, we have studied the impact of collective neutrino flavor oscillations on the νp-process nucleosynthesis. Our results show that the production of light p-nuclei up to mass number A = 108 is very sensitive to collective neutrino oscillations.     

Comparative study of the electrical and dielectric properties of PVA–PEG–Al2O3–MI (M=Na,K, Ag) complex polymer electrolytes

Plasticized nanocomposite polymer electrolytes (PNCPEs) based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–MI (M=Na, K, Ag) dispersed with nanofillers Al₂O₃ and plasticized with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been prepared by solution cast technique. The structural properties of the samples have been characterized using various experimental techniques such as XRD, DSC, FTIR and B-G spectroscopy. The ionic conductivity and dielectric constant of the samples have been estimated using a LCZ meter in a wide temperature range, i.e. from 30 to 170 °C. It has been observed that the presence of water molecules in polymer electrolytes significantly affects the mobility of ionic species. The temperature dependent ionic conductivity shows the Arrhenius type behavior separated in three distinct regions. The ionic transference number for all PNCPE samples is found to be ≈1, which strongly suggests their ionic nature.     

Indium-mediated propargylation of imines and imine oxides in aqueous media: propargylation of CN- centres

The indium-catalysed coupling of propargyl bromide with a variety of imines and imine oxides afforded the corresponding propargylated products in high yields under mild conditions.     

Dielectric, thermal and optical study of an unusually shaped liquid crystal

Dielectric measurements have been carried out for the determination of real and imaginary parts of the permittivity of a newly synthesized, unusually shaped liquid crystal. The sample has been investigated in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 10 MHz within a temperature range 80-130 °C. The dielectric measurements in the smectic A phase indicate a Cole-Cole type of dispersion, and the activation energy was found to be 5.5 meV by using the Arrhenius plot of relaxation time. In addition to this, thermal and optical transmittance studies have also been conducted in the above mentioned temperature range, and the temperature dependence of these parameters has been discussed in detail. The phase transition temperature obtained from a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study matches within 2 °C that was obtained from an optical transmittance study. The dielectric and optical behavior of the unusually shaped liquid crystal has been explained on the basis of a proposed theoretical model in which a sample possesses two different conformers having induced polarizations in opposite directions.     

Influence of Naphthalene Moiety on Mesomorphism

Compounds containing naphthalene moiety are synthesized and the liquid crystalline properties studied by texture observations. The mesomorphic properties of these compounds are compared with related compounds to understand the influence of broad units such as naphthalene on mesomorphism. It is observed that there is a limit to which the end alkoxy group can be extended in a mesogen. The method of preparation, and properties of these compounds are given.